| Marian-Cristian JARCĂ1
Abstract: Beginning in 2008, overlapping crises from financial collapse to pandemic and war have fundamentally reshaped how economies absorb stress. Systems now face new pressures before old ones fade, meaning labour markets respond differently than historical models assumed. Evidence spanning over a decade shows repeated disturbances alter the speed and shape of job losses, pay shifts, and worker mobility. Resilience is no longer about returning to normal, it is about adjusting within ongoing instability. Existing research largely examines crises in isolation, missing what happens when several hit simultaneously. Concurrent disruptions intensify one another, producing patterns linear models cannot capture. Job markets bear much of this strain: hiring slows, automation and gig-based platforms accelerate, and worker skills become outdated faster than anticipated. What might unfold over years under isolated disruption now compresses into months when shocks overlap. The analysis combines quantitative labour market data across multiple downturns with insights into how policy frameworks and organisations adapt, spotlighting forces that amplify damage when crises collide. Layered setbacks consistently strike hardest at already exposed groups, accelerate shifts already underway, and demand new forms of policy response rather than stronger versions of existing ones. Regional variation reveals how structures such as safety nets and hiring practices reshape outcomes in compounded emergencies, defying forecasts built for simpler events. Digital acceleration and trade disruptions reshaped job structures, requiring a revised framework that captures complex, networked workforce adjustments. Keywords: compound shocks; overlapping crises; labour market resilience; economic shocks; geopolitical shocks; unemployment dynamics Read full article 1National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Bld. Expoziției 30A, 012104, Bucharest, Romania; ORCID No. 0009-0001-7710-8605; marian-cristian.jarca.25@drd.snspa.ro (corresponding author) |
PUBLISHED in Journal of Knowledge Dynamics,
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